Suspension device for equalizing the strain on elevator cables



Dec. s, 1931. E EVANS 1,835,032

SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR EQUALIZING THE STRAIN ON ELEVATOR CABLES FiledSept. 16J 1929 Patented Dec. 8, 1931 UNlTED STATES PTNT OFFICE `PIIEVANS, OF BEDFORD, INDIANA, ASSIG-NOR TO EVANS ELEVATOR EQUALIZ'ERCMPANY, OF BEDFORD, INDIANA, i CORPCRATIGN OF INDIANA SUSPENSION DEVICEFOR EQUALIZENG THE STRAIN ON ELEVATOR CABLES Application lecl September16, 1929.

The present invention relates to a device for equalizing the strain upona group of cables, such as those commonly used to suspend an elevatorcar used for transferring passengers or freight from one licor of albuilding to another. ln the type of elevatorsmost widely used the groupof hoisting cables, .usually about six in number, though a greater orless'number may be employed, tracl: in a corresponding number of groovesformed in a suspension pulley or drum at the top of the elevator shaft,the weight of the car being according to usual practice counterbalancedby weights also con nected to the suspension cables. Because ofvunavoidable variations in manufacture the cables are liable to stretchunequally, and in case of replacement of one or more cables, because ofvari ations in wear and stretch as between the new and old cables, aswell as variations in the diameter of the groovesin the pulleys engagedby the cables, the cablesdo not, if rigidly connected to the car, at alltimes in the travel of the car, especially in the case ot tallbuildings, sustain an equal load, and the cable upon which the greatestload is thrown is subject to 'the greatest wear and liability ofbreakage. My present invention relates to a. type of suspension devicein which the load oi: the car is sustained and equalized by a body ofliquid, preferably oil, interposed between a series ofinter-communicating cylinders connected to the car, and a series otpistons in said cylinders connected severally with the hoisting cables.The object of my invention is the provision or" a suspension device otthe type which in the construction and arrangement of its mechanicalparts and members shall be better suited and adapted to perform thefunctions and, accomplish the results for which it is designed than'prei/'ions equalizers of the type in question ylrnown to me. `With thisobject in view I have designed and invented the novel suspension devicehereinafter described in detail,the essential elements of my inventionbeing more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. f

ln the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, onasinall scale, showingin outline an Serial No. 333,098.

elevator car and portions of the supporting structures and liftingapparatus with Iny novel equalizing device applied thereto;

Fig. is what l will term a side view of the device, in a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is an end View of the same; n

Fig. Ll is a top plan view of thesame, the anchor bolts secured to thecables being shown in section and parts of the supporting plates of thecar trame being indicated;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section extending axially of one of the cylindersand the piston therein on the dotted line 5 5 of Fig. 4, parts of thestructure being shown in elevation; and

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the top plate of the cylinder frame.

Like reference characters indicate like parts on all the figures of thedrawings.

g Referring to Fig. 1, which illustrates an ordinary and well knownarrangement of elevator mechanism, the suspension or hoisting cables A,which by means of my novel equalizing device, indicated generally by thereference letter B, are severally connected at one end to the elevatorcar C, severally engage alternate grooves (not shown) of the suspensionpulley D; then grooves of the idler pulley E and then pass around thepulley D again, in the intermediate or adjacent grooves of such pulley,the other ends of the cables being operatively connected with thecounterweight and hoisting mechanism, not illustrated.

Describing now in detail the construction of the device B itself, thecylinder frame attached to the car includes a top plate l, and a bottomplate 2, between which are interposed thc tubular cylinder members 3,the top and bottom plates being connected by clamping bolts to clamp thecylinders between them. Pre'ierably for convenience of assemblage, twoof the clamping bolts, as the bolts Ll, or il desired a greater number)engage threaded seats in the bottom plate, while the remaining bolts, inthe present instance the bolts marked 5,'siX in number, are not threadedin either plate.

The top plate l is formed with cylindrical seats 6 to receive the upperends oit' the cylintheir lower ends supporting the lower ends ofthepistons.

' 2. A suspension device for connecting an elevator car to a groupv ofhoisting cables comprising a cylinder frame secured to said 'car and aplurality of Vinter-communicating oil-lilled cylinders in said frame, acorresponding plurality of pistons in said cylinders, anda plurality ofpiston trames including shackle rods slidingly mounted in said cylindertra-me, said piston frames beingv connected Vat their-upper ends to thehoisting cables and having cross-bars at their lower ends supporting thelower ends of the pistons, said pistons being free to move upon thesupporting faces of said cross-bars.

3. A suspension device for connecting an elevator car to a group ofhoisting cables comprising a cylinder frame secured to said car, aplurality of inter-communicating oilfilled cylinders in said frame, acorresponding plurality of pistons in said cylinders, a plurality ofpiston frames including shackle rods slidingly mounted in said cylinderframe, said piston iframes being connected at their upper ends to thehoisting cables and having 'Y cross-bars at their lower ends supportingthe lower ends o'f the pistons, and buffer springs interposed betweensaid cross bars and said cylinder frame.

4. A'suspension device for connecting an elevator car to a group ofhoisting cables comprising a cylinder frame secured to said car, aplurality of inter-communicating oililled cylinders in said frame, acorresponding plurality of pistons in said cylinders, a plurality ofpiston frames including shackle rods slidingly mounted in said cylinderframe, said piston frames being connected at their upper ends to thehoisting cables and having cross-bars at their lower ends supporting thelower ends of the pistons, and

bulier springs interposed between said cross bars and said cylinderframe, said buffer springs being normally idle and arranged to bestressed upon movement of said pistons and piston frames to a higherposition relative to said cylinders.

5. A suspension device for connecting an elevator car to a group ofhoisting cables, said device comprising a cylinder frame secured to thecar including an oriliced top plate formed with cylinder seats and anoriticed bottom plate formed with open cylinder seats and a plurality ofcylinders seated in said top and bottom plates and clamping boltsarranged to clamp said top and bottom plates to said cylinders, said topplate being formed with passages providing communicaion between saidcylinders, a plurality of pistons in said cylinders, and a plurality ofpiston frames each having a pair of shackle rods slidingly mounted inaligned oriices in ysaid top andv bottom plates of the cylinder trame,said piston frames being each provided with a cross-bar secured to thelower ends of said shackle rods and arranged to support the lower end ofthe associated pistonK 6. A suspension device for connecting an elevatorcar to a group of hoisting cables, said device comprising a cylindertrame including an oriiiced top plate secured to the car and an orificedbottom plate torined with open cylinder seats and a plurality ofinterposed cylinders and clamping bolts arranged to clamp said top andbottom plates to said cylinders, said top plate being formed withpassages providing communication between said cylinders, a plurality ofpistons in said cylinders, and a plurality of piston frames each havinga pair ot shackle rods slidingly mounted in aligned orifices in said topand bottom plates ol the cylinder trame, said piston frames being eachprovided with a cross-bar secured to the lower ends ot said shackle rodsand arranged to support the lower end oit the associated piston.

7. A suspension device for connecting a group of hoisting cables to anelevator car having a pair olf spaced horizontally disposed supportingplates, said device including an oriiiced top plate extending over andresting upon said supporting plates and also including an orificedbottom plate and a plurality of interposed cylinders and clamping boltsdisposed between said supporting plates, said clamping bolts beingarranged to clamp said bottom plate and interposed cylinders to said topplate and said cylinders being in communication at their upper ends, aplurality of pistons in said cylinders, piston frames connected to saidhoisting cables and arranged to support said pistons, a pair oitclamping plates at opposite ends of the device extending underneath saidsupporting plates, and clamping bolts engaging said top plate adjacentits opposite ends for clamping said top plate to said supporting plates.

8. A suspension device for connecting a group of hoisting cables to anelevator car having a pair of spaced horizontally disposed supportingplates, said device including an oriiced top plate extending over andresting upon said supporting plates and also including an orificedbottom plate and a plurality of interposed cylinders and clamping boltsdisposed between said supporting plates, said clamping bolts beingarranged to clamp said bottom plate and interposed cylinders to said topplate and said cylinders being in communication at their upper ends, aplurality of pistons in said cylinders, piston frames connected to saidhoisting cables and arranged to support said pistons, and clamping meansat opposite ends of said suspension device engaging said top plate andextending underneath and engaging said supporting plates.

49. A suspension device for connecting a group of hoisting cables to anelevator car having a pair otspacedhorizontally disposed supportingplates, said device includ-r "ing an oriiced top'pl'a'te extendiiigoverand resting upon said supporting plates' and also including an orilicedbottoinplate anda plu rality' of interposed cylinders 'and' clampingbolts 'disposedbetween :said supporting plates, said clamping boltsbeing arranged to clamp said bottoni platev and interposed cyl-Y indersto said top plate and said cylinders being in coinniunicationat theirupper ends, a

` plurality'f-otpistons in said cylinders, piston frames connected tosaid hoisting cables and arranged to support said pistons, a pair of Yclamping plates at opposite endsv of the device extending underneathsaid supporting plates, and clamping bolts engaging said top plateadjacent its opposite ends for clamping said top plate to saidsupporting plates, the sides of said top plate and the ends ot-saidclamping plates being formed with retaining lugs extending uponthe outerfaoesot said vsupporting plates.

` l0. A suspension device for connecting an elevator` car to a group ofequally spaced elevator cables arranged to track in the grooves I of aconiinon supporting pulley, said device coniprisinga cylinder framesecured to the Y cariand plurality oi" intercoininunicating oil-lilledcylinders in said frame, said cylinders beingdisposed in staggeredarrangenient in two parallel adjacent planes, la corresponding*pluralityof pistons in said. cylinders, and a plurality of rectangular pistonframes, each'fraine including ansu'pper crossbarv centrally secured toan associated hoist ing cable and secured at its ends to apair ofshackle rods slidingly inountedin said cylinder traine, and a lowercross-ban supporting the lower end of an associatedl piston, the planesoic th-e piston ltrain-es extending in dif- 1 two planes in which thepistons andcylinders are arranged. Y

y i 11. A suspension device for connectingv an elevatorcar to a groupofrhoisting cables comprising cylinder traine secured to said car and aplurality of inter-co1ninunicat1ng Yoi'l-lled cylinders in saidtrainecorrespond 'fling infnuinher to the number of hoist-ing cables, acorresponding plurality of pistons vin said'cylinders, and acorrespondingfplu- Y .iality olf piston frames including yshackleVrods.,v slidingly inounted in saidivcylinder traine, ,said pistonfraniesrhaving cross-.bars at their uppergends individually connected toLseaoee Hoed botto-ni plate formed with open-'cylinder seats and aplurality of cylinders corresponding innumber to the numberof'lioistling, cables seated insajid ,top and bottom ni'y naine.,l Y

' Y JOSEPH E EVANS.

Y ferent directions alternately at angles to thel Y thelioisting cablesandihaving cross-bars`at f their lower ends individually supportingVYthe i .lower ends crpthefpistons I i K 12. A suspension deviceiorjconnecting an elevator car tovaf group of hoistingcables,

saiddevice lcomprising acylinder. rame'secured toifthe'car vincluding anorilicedtop fplatev ormedwvitli-cylinder Aseats and an ori-

